Trauma-Informed Care Adapted for Indian LGBTQ+ Community: A Narrative Review

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychology
• Sociology

Background:

• India faces significant stigma surrounding gender and sexuality, leading to complex trauma and high rates of psychiatric morbidity within the queer community.
• Existing societal stigma contributes to unique challenges for LGBTQ+ individuals in India, impacting their mental well-being.
• There is a need for specialized therapeutic interventions tailored to the cultural context of India.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and suggest adaptations of trauma and dissociation-informed therapy for the Indian queer community.
• To provide culturally sensitive recommendations for mental health professionals supporting LGBTQ+ individuals in India.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted on PubMed using keywords related to LGBT issues, India, mental health, and trauma psychotherapy.
• Inclusion criteria focused on relevant English original or meta-analytic studies from India.
• A narrative review of 37 selected studies was performed after screening and analysis.

Main Results:

• LGBTQ+ individuals in India continue to face violence and discrimination from familial, communal, and police sources.
• Stigma, microaggressions, homophobia, and re-traumatization within healthcare settings contribute to complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other psychiatric disorders.
• There is a notable lack of adequate government, non-profit, and community-based interventions to support the mental health of the LGBTQ+ community.

Conclusions:

• Individually tailored, socially sensitive trauma-informed therapy is essential for the Indian queer community.
• Specific therapeutic models, including Narrative Exposure Therapy, Mentalization-Based Therapy, Prolonged Exposure Group Therapy, Milan Family Therapy, and somatic therapy, can be adapted.
• These adapted therapies aim to create empowering narratives, reduce internalized stigma, build support systems, combat negative societal stigma, and facilitate body reclamation for LGBTQ+ individuals in India.